I've Got A Room At The Top of the World Tonight
by kuraokamiko
Summary: Something is on Nokoru's mind, and his strange behavior is catching the attention of his two best friends.


Title: I've Got A Room At The Top of the World Tonight  
  
Author: DC James [kuraokamiko@cox.net]  
  
Archived: DC James' Hideout [http://kuraokamiko.wishing-blue.net]  
  
Fandom: CLAMP Campus Detectives  
  
Part: 1/1  
  
Type: Oneshot drama piece, post manga and anime, contains some spoilers for X.  
  
Warnings: Angst, drama, and a little sap.  
  
Summary: Something is on Nokoru's mind, and his strange behavior is catching the attention of his two best friends.  
  
Pairing: Suoh/Nagisa and Akira/Utako  
  
Written On: 13 February 2004  
  
C&C is welcomed.  
  
***  
  
I've Got A Room At The Top of the World Tonight  
  
CCD Fanfic  
  
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Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to CLAMP Campus Detectives belong to CLAMP, Kadokawa Shoten/Bandai Visual, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, Anime Village, and associated parties. The characters of this series are used without permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.  
  
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Text: No special text for this fic.  
  
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I knew something was wrong when Kaichou came into the office that afternoon. His appointment book had stated that he had a meeting, but it did not specify with who. I had only just found out about the lack of information a few minutes earlier and was actually on my way out to find Kaichou before he entered. I huffed, irritated at his disreguard to his own safety. By all means, Kaichou, give me a heartattack!  
  
Whatever rant I was about to go on when he emerged from the hall died on my tongue as I saw his expression. No sheepish, non-apologetic smile was in place, no mischievious twinkle in his eyes, no faint blush on his cheeks from the cold April breeze. He was pale, and had a frown that accompanied an expression I have only seen when he was calculating a problem.  
  
Akira smiled as usual, but it didn't reach his concerned gray gaze, "Good afternoon, Kaichou! Did you have a nice meeting?"  
  
"Yes, Ijyuin, a very informative one. How has your day been?" the blonde easily side-stepped the topic as he moved around his desk and sat in the leather chair. He began to shuffle his papers, organizing them enough so he could get to work.  
  
Akira and I shared a look. Very rarely did Kaichou immediately start on work. He wasn't like that, he would attempt to put it off as long as possible. In fact, arriving at this time of day, he would usually politely ask if the dark haired treasurer would mind getting us some tea and cake.  
  
But Kaichou did not do that. He picked up his stamp and read through the papers, setting his mark on the ones he approved of, and others he wrote on and put into a pile to be returned to their place of origin for reconsideration. Unnerved, Akira and I went back to our own stations, half-heartedly working on our own impressive piles and keeping an eye on our strangely acting Kaichou.  
  
As the hours wore on, and the sun began to get lower in the sky, I knew it was something serious bothering Kaichou. He hadn't once tried to weasel his way out of the large piles of paperwork, hadn't called for any sort of break, and he hadn't teased either Akira or I about Nagisa-chan and Utako-san. His brow was creased in thought, and he would take a particularly long time on some pages, while on others he would stamp immediately, then pick it up again to read over once more. It was not like our Kaichou to be unable to remember any information he input into that miraculous brain of his.  
  
I couldn't think of what to do to reach out to my One. Akira had proven that the direct approach wasn't going to work, and anything more delicate would take time to build up. The gray eyed young man left the office and returned minutes later with a tray of milk tea and tiramisu, a treat Kaichou had been craving much of recently. Picking up a plate and a cup, Akira made his way to the Kaichou's desk, smiling brightly.  
  
"It's almost 4 o'clock, Kaichou!" the president's cornflower eyes snapped back from their distant look and he gave a slight smile to the treasurer, "Thank you, Ijyuin. This looks delicious, as all your treats are."  
  
The chef beamed at the praise, something I knew he enjoyed immensely, "Thank you, Kaichou! It is always a pleasure to hear how much my talents are appreciated!" I left my own desk to get a helping of the snack, and carefully watched as Akira made his way to look out of the large windows behind the blonde's desk, "Maa maa, it's such a beautiful day today, isn't it?"  
  
I nodded as I looked at Kaichou, who was sipping his milk tea and looking at one of the papers, not reading any of the words. Akira frowned faintly, but pressed on, "It's the perfect weather to go for a walk. Perhaps even to go to the park that used to sell those ice candies."  
  
The look the treasurer gave me told me to help him. Maybe Akira was on the right track. Kaichou had been working a lot these past few weeks and whatever took place at this secret meeting was weighing heavily on his mind. Some time from the paperwork could help him, and perhaps open him up to talk to us about it. Highly unlikely as Kaichou despised dumping any portion of his burdens on us, but as friends we wouldn't back down until we help him. "Un. Akira, that is a good idea." I set down my own plate of the dessert and walked to Kaichou's desk, "What do you say, Kaichou? Let's leave the rest of the work for Monday and enjoy an early weekend."  
  
Shock rolled off of Akira's frame, for that was possibly the first time I had ever considered aloud an early leave on a Friday. Kaichou looked up at me in surprise, then sighed and sat down the cup and the paper. Swirving in his seat, he turned to look out the window as well, taking in the colorful foilage the campus had to offer. It was a beautiful day, warm but with a cool breeze that was on the verge of biting.  
  
"Very lovely day," Kaichou finally agreed softly. Smirking, he gave a sly look to the young treasurer, "Perfect weather for a date with Utako-san, isn't that so, Ijyuin?"  
  
Akira blushed and began to mumble and fidget with his uniform, as per usual for whenever any mention of his younger girlfriend was brought up. Kaichou then turned a full force smile to me, and continued in that same tone of voice, "Suoh, perhaps Nagisa-san would enjoy a stroll through the cherry blossoms? She admitted to me a while ago that such beauty in nature gives her inspiration for her music."  
  
I did not fall for Kaichou's attempt of embarrassing me, but I could not deny the faint blush that fell upon my cheeks at the thought of my own girlfriend, surrounded by the beauty of the pink flowers. "And who will Kaichou take with him on this lovely day?"  
  
Still smiling, Kaichou turned back around to face his desk and picked up the sheet of paper once again, "You know better than to ask me that, Suoh. To choose one out of all the ladies would be unfair. I still have much work to finish before I can enjoy the weekend."  
  
Akira stopped his antics and gave me a worried look. I had to admit, I was more concerned also. Kaichou had _never_ ignored a chance to get out of his duties early. Kaichou's pale hand waved carelessly in the air, "You two go out and enjoy your time with Nagisa-san and Utako-san. I will see you on Monday."  
  
I frowned, and gave a sigh as I promised myself to make it up to Nagisa-chan. "Akira, you go ahead and meet up with Utako-san. I have to clean up my desk before I leave."  
  
"Alright," the youngest of the three of us smiled with obvious relief in his eyes as he picked up his coat and school bag and left the office. He knew I would stay behind and take care of whatever was bothering Kaichou. He may be our best friend, but Kaichou and I are protector and protected, closely bonded to something beyond best friends.  
  
I wished I had that much faith in my ability to reach out to Kaichou and receive a response.  
  
I busied myself with organizing the piles of finished papers, only having one or two left in my inbox to be finished with. Once done, I walked back to Kaichou's desk and put my hands palm down on it's smooth surface, "Kaichou, what is wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," the blond dismissed, staring at the same sheet of paper for the last fifteen minutes. I leaned forward, and gently pulled the paper down to look into the guarded blue eyes. "Kaichou. Kaichou, what happened at that meeting? Who was it with?"  
  
Kaichou sighed, now with obvious annoyance. It wasn't often he got seriously irritated with me; he had the patience of a saint. At this time, however, he was pushing me away, his arms crossed over his chest defensively, "It was a personal matter, Suoh, nothing to worry yourself over. Now go and enjoy the evening with Nagisa-san. I'll make that an order if I have to."  
  
"Make it an order then, because I'm not leaving until you tell me what is bothering you!" I snapped, my golden eyes flashing. "I'm to protect you, Kaichou, even if it's to help ease your burden for your mental protection."  
  
Those wise blue eyes judged me, weighing if it was worth telling me or better to just keep it to himself. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He opened it once more, but after nothing came out, he snapped it shut and shook his head, his eyes closed. "It's nothing-"  
  
"Kaichou, if not as your protector, then as your friend. I ask you, please, entrust me with this." I pleaded, now seriously concerned. I wasn't so sure now if I even wanted to leave Kaichou alone when he was acting so peculiar.  
  
Kaichou looked momentarily hurt, then turned in his chair to look out the window. After many moments of silence, I began to feel defeated, until he spoke with the black leather chair facing me, "Suoh, what if you knew something important. Something... something very bad, but very important. And say you were involved somehow. Would you tell it to someone dear to you, knowing that they can't help at all, and it would only worry them and perhaps wound them mentally and on an emotional level as well?"  
  
I wanted to say yes, I'd tell them, immediately, but I knew he would see that as the selfish answer it was. I had to be truthful. "It would depend on the something and who I was telling it to."  
  
Kaichou seemed to take this into account, and gently said, "I had a meeting with Rijichou." The chairwoman, I thought. It must have been gravely important then... or immensely silly, as I had come to label many of the antics of the Imonoyama family. No other lineage of people had ever off-balanced me so much as that family has, and Kaichou most of all.  
  
The chair turned back, so Kaichou faced me once again, his expression serious. "I'm not ready to tell you yet what it is. Even if I was, I don't think you'd be ready to hear it. Do not misunderstand, Suoh. I trust you and Ijyuin above all others. I just need some time to think about the matter. I'm not a strong person, Suoh; Kami knows how many times you had to face that fact and save me. Both of you have been there for me when I needed you, and I will need that strong friendship for what is to come. I can only hope that when I can reveal it to you, neither you nor Ijyuin will leave."  
  
It pained me to see Kaichou so doubtful of our friendship, a friendship that had been through so much as the campus detectives and as the school council. His years of voluntary isolation affected him deeper than he let on and it took times like these to remind Akira and myself that he needed reassurance once in a while, even if it was just a small thing. I wondered what this important matter could be that would make him afraid of losing us, but I knew I would do my best to prove him wrong when he was ready to reveal it.  
  
"Kaichou, let's go. Perhaps we have time to stop by that café you enjoy so much." Kaichou smiled in that secret way of his, then put his stamping kit back in the desk drawer and nodded in agreement. I handed him his coat and opened the door for us to leave and I made sure I locked it after we exited.  
  
Leaving the near empty building, I stood close to my Kaichou, searching around for possible danger. Sensing none, but still on guard, I spoke up once more, "Kaichou, you are impossible."  
  
"Eh?" He blinked curiously at me, unsure of what I meant.  
  
I gave him a stern glare and hastily brush my indigo hair from my face, "When will it get through your thick skull that I protect you? You're my One. I will not leave your side, come hell or high water."  
  
Kaichou's confussion melted into a smile that softened his expression, and in his eyes I read his thanks. Suddenly, he looked over my should and straightened his posture in pleasant surprise, "Why, is that Nagisa-san?"  
  
I turned quickly, and in the process trip over my own feet and crash to the green grass. There was no Nagisa-chan, only Kaichou behind me, laughing. "Kaichou..." I growled warningly, and he backed away playfully, pretending to placid me, "Now, now, Suoh, there is nothing wrong with harmless teasing-"  
  
I sighed with exasperation, the only response I could give in face of Kaichou's mischieviousness as he was impossible to punish after such an ordeal, except with supergluing him to his desk and forcing him to complete all the paperwork waiting to be stamped and filed. Pleased that Kaichou's amusement wasn't as forced as it had been earlier, we continue on our walk, troubles put to the side for now, and to be faced with again later.  
  
--End--  
  
AN: This hit me at 12:23 AM, and I just couldn't sleep until I got the idea written down. Unable to find a sheet of paper, despite having tons of notebooks, I decided to save it on the computer. The brief summary turned into an outline and then the outline turned into a full fledge story. I am so pleased with myself, it's been ages since I've been in that kind of writing mood. So, in case people can't tell, this is when Nokoru is told about the End of the World that is to come, as specified in the X manga. It probably didn't happen this way, but it's a fanfic for a reason. It doesn't have to be real, and in most instances it isn't. I hope you enjoyed it, and now... I'm going back to my couch and try to get some sleep. *yawns and pads off slumped with weariness* 


End file.
